A brand isn’t a logo. It isn’t even the color scheme. Branding is your behavior. Period. Well, it’s debatable, especially when I’m chatting with Rhonda Negard of Fat Dog Creatives.
Marketers like to talk about branding as if it were a magic word an SEO professional would use that you know is important but don’t fully understand. (This is why you hire an SEO professional.)
Now, you should have good branding as in the logo, font pairings, and color selections. If you don’t, then talk to Rhonda Negard. Her work is amazing. Check out the case study of her logos design for a professional with B.S. as their initials.
What is branding?
Branding is listening to a thirty-year old Michael Jackson song on the radio and recognizing the Eddie Van Halen guitar solo.
Branding is making a decision between using a restroom at a gas station or the restroom at a Starbucks.
Branding is being reminded of your beloved uncle when you smell pipe tobacco with a hint of cherry.
Is Branding A Logo?
Yes and no.
In many ways, branding is the connection of your sensual experiences. When I see a Diet Coke can, I become thirsty. Why? I remember the feel of a cold can in my hands, the sound the can makes when it pops open, the tickle down my throat, and the taste afterward. All of those memories are tied into the Diet Coke logo.
Human history is full of seals, rings, flags, coats of arms, and crests used to distinguish families, tribes, and nations. The human condition is curious; as much as we long for group acceptance, we still desire to be distinct and recognized.
Although the etymology of branding is varied, we can all imagine a rancher using a hot iron to brand his livestock. Each ranch had a distinct logo that made a permanent impression. Though originally intended to distinguish ownership, the logo reflected on the rancher, whether good or bad.
A Logo is Your Behavior
Your behavior as a company will be associated with your logo. Always. In this regard, the branding is the logo and the logo is the brand.
In my presentation, “You Are What You Tweet,” I gave the example that the Caltrop logo had no meaning to me until I met one of their employees, Mark DeSio.
[bctt tweet=”When you have a relationship with a person, the logo has meaning. ” username=”bridgetmwillard”]
In our day, branding makes a permanent impression, too. These impressions are based upon a person’s experience interacting with your company (brand) and there’s only so much of it you can control. With the introduction of social media, individual impressions gain a much greater audience.
“Every employee is your brand ambassador, your marketer, and the face of your company.” Scott Stratten: The Book of Business Awesome
Case in point. Twenty years ago I went to a pancake restaurant and there were cockroaches crawling on the table. Regardless of how many coupons they offer, how many all-you-can-eat pancake events they hold, I will never go to any of their restaurants again. That one experience made a lasting impression. Their advertising (branding) is no longer effective with me. My experience at their store made a permanent impression (branding).
Big brands, like Diet Coke, are often used as an example because we all recognize them, making the lesson relatable to a diverse audience.
How is online behavior branding?
The question always is: how will that translate for me and my business on social media?
The largest way you can impact your brand — your company’s reputation — is to have consistent behavior with your why. Any time that deviates, you have cognitive dissonance, which is a completely different blog post.
It’s simple.
Are you ready?
Behave online the way you would want to be perceived.
[bctt tweet=”In the end, regardless of your color scheme, your branding is your behavior. It’s that simple.” username=”bridgetmwillard”
If you want people to think that you’re professional, behave professionally. If you want people to believe you do quality work, produce quality content.